244



Capt. B. R. Hoksbrugh,



ing, but eventually, by securely binding the legs of the camera to

boughs, I managed to make some exposures.


No. i gives a good idea of the site (the nest being just

behind where the egg is held), and

No. 2 shows the nest and eggs “ in situ.”


On measuring the height I found the nest to be fourteen

feet from the ground. Unfortunately, being in such an exposed

place the eggs were all frosted and spoilt.


It would be interesting to know in what manner the duck

would have managed to get her young down to the water.


[It is not very uncommon for Mallard to nest in trees, especially in

the heads of pollard willows ; sometimes also the deserted nest of another

large bird is utilized. In cases like this the young are simply allowed to

jump out and take their luck, which is usually good, as the fall does not

seem to hurt them.—E d.]



BIRDS OF A BLOEMFONTEIN GARDEN.


By B. R. Horsbrugh.


Among the visitors to my garden in Bloemfontein, one of

the most interesting is the Bacbakiri Shrike (Laniariusgutturalis).

A pair usually come in the early morning before I get up and

waken me with their loud ringing call-note as they hop about

in the leafy pepper trees. This tree ( schinus molle) is an in¬

troduction from Australia, I believe ; it is an evergreen and in

winter bears long bunches of dry, reddish-coloured, hot-flavoured

berries, which are largely eaten by the various fruit-eating birds,

like the Pied Barbet (7 richolaevia melanoleucus ), Pale White-eye

(Zosterops pallida ), Bayards’ and the Blackish Bulbul (Pycnonotus

layardi and P. ?iigrica?is') and the Red-faced Coly ( Colius erythro-

melori ), all of which are to be seen from my windows at various

times of the day, both in the trees and at a bird-table which holds

decayed potatoes, old bananas, bird-seed, etc.


The Red-backed Shrike (. Lanins collurio ) visits us on mi¬

gration, but its cousin the Jack Hanger or Fiscal ( L . collaris ) is

always here, the usual post of observation being the top of one of

the poles holding up the wire-netting surrounding the tennis-

court, from where morning and evening the cock gives us his

song—a song which would be quite pleasant were it not for the



